Cabo Polonio

all of my experiences wandering South American lands were pretty special, but one in particular always crosses my mind. Cabo Polonio is a small cluster of seaside dwellings on the south coast of Uruguay. There is no electricity, no roads and to reach it involves riding an open top bus with a speciality of navigating dunes. i, very luckily, crossed the dunes at night and the stars had the intensity that could only come with no roof on your transportation and no electricity in the town you are approaching.

the town itself had one small bar, lit with candles of an evening creating a timeless mood. the general atmosphere of the town was a mixture of ethnicity, rawness, organic feeling and wildness. everything was simple.

'prohibido no prohibir' was the moto of the town. it translates to; 'it is prohibited to prohibit' - this lead to a cultivated, free, unprocessed and unpolished community that was amazing to be a part of. if only for a number of days. 

                             cabo polonio, uruguay '13

                                         

Lake Pedder

   lake pedder, tasmania, 2017.

one of my favourite areas of Tasmania. part of the south west wilderness, where a few wild lakes are lined with rugged mountain ranges. 

the above photo was taken from the back of a van during an autumn road trip around the state. the rest of the trip had mainly blue skies with scattered clouds, but here i was lucky enough to crash a night by the lake during a spell of moody weather, which created feelings of isolation, and accentuated the intensity of the landscape. a windless afternoon also meant it was quiet and still. moody tones and overcast skies with beautiful cloud definition made for a good time taking photos. 

the road to Strathgordon, the town nestled between the two lakes, Lake Pedder and Lake Gordon, is a pretty beautiful experience. it's a 150 km road that leads west from Mt. Field. it meanders through endless forest with the odd ingress into open landscape and not a dwelling in sight for the whole journey. it's like driving to nowhere, as Strathgordon is literally the end of the road and there is nada beyond apart from wilderness. 

Wabi Sabi

Recently, I have become so interested in the concept of wabi sabi, during my winter hibernation in Madarao. 

"The idea developed when two seperate words, wabi and sabi , were joined to convey a certain look, feeling, and world perspective. wabi means something like simplicity, humility, and living in tune with nature; it describes someone who is content with little and makes the most of whatever he or she has, always moving toward having less. 

Sabi, on the other hand,  refers to what happens with the passage of time; it’s about transience and the beauty and authenticity of age. Practicing sabi is learning to accept the natural cycle of growth and death, as well as embracing the imperfections that come with this progression. Together, wabi and sabi form a feeling that finds harmony and serenity in what is uncomplicated, unassuming, mysterious and fleeting." - Wabi Sabi Welcome, Julie Pointer Adams. 

I have been holding off on working with a lot of images i have taken because they are too flawed or too mysterious. As my photography has developed i have realised that if something makes me feel, it’s worthy, regardless of das imperfections. 

Winter in Japan

  photojournal from the winter season in Madarao, Japan. 

A Quiescent Mind

i tend to get pangs of nostalgia when i look back through photographs of past adventures. although my style has changed so much since i started to travel. i have an intense collection that i haven’t really done anything with meaningfully and i also guess that this blog may be a very needed start to that process. i have also neglected photography lately and i am making a conscious effort to grow back into my passion with a clearer mind of the kind of images i want to create.

i feel good when i take photos. i feel good that i can make transient moments still.

i’m currently in the northern Japanese alps. it’s at the end of the winter season and the snow is starting to melt, people are starting to move on and the days are getting longer. i feel like it's a good time to start this blog alongside bringing a decade of travel and photographs from distant places back to the present to slowly bring myself back from this time of quiescence.

quiescent

adjective

being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or motionless:

a quiescent mind.

    tasman peninsular, tasmania, 2017.